Marlin ISD board rescinds plan to mandate three-point bus seat belts, cites financial hardship

The Marlin Independent School District Board of Trustees voted 4-0 on May 4, 2026, to rescind its April 20 action requiring and funding three-point seat belts on school buses, citing budget constraints. Rosalyn Dimerson moved the rescission and substituted a policy stating the district cannot support bus purchases or retrofits for three-point seat belts under the financial-hardship provisions of state law.

"I move to rescind the Board's previous action taken on April 20, 2026 regarding the mandatory implementation and funding of three-point seatbelts for the district's bus fleet, and to substitute it with the following policy: 'Pursuant to the financial hardship provisions of Texas Education Code $34.013, the Board determines that the district's future budgets cannot support the purchase of buses equipped with three-point seatbelts or the retrofitting of the existing fleet,'" Rosalyn Dimerson moved, according to the meeting record. Sharon Tomlinson seconded the motion, which passed unanimously by the four members present (4-0) with three trustees absent.

The motion instructs district staff to formalize a resolution reflecting that the budget does not permit expenditures for three-point seat belts and cites the financial-hardship statute as the basis for that determination. The record shows the board relied on the budgetary assessment rather than adopting a funding plan at this meeting. No public comments were recorded on the item during the meeting. The board meeting began at 5:00 p.m. and adjourned at 5:57 p.m.